Brazil

ICYE Brazil was founded in 1987 with it’s main office based in Porto Alegre. The program is situated in the south part of Brazil, with most exchanges living with host families in Porto Alegre City (the Capital of Rio Grande do Sul) and the surrounding areas.

There is a large number of Street Children in Brazil and therefore many NGOs focus on the rehabilitation of young children who have become addicted to drugs or have been forced into prostitution. Voluntary service projects also include working with socially disadvantaged children and youngsters, elderly from poor communities, human rights organizations, and environmental projects.

About Brazil

Brazil is located on the east coast of South America, on Atlantic coast. It is one of biggest countries in the world with an area of 8,511,965 km2 and a population of around 180 million inhabitants. Due to its large size and geographical position (four- fifths of the nation lies between the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn lines), five different types of climate are found in the country: Equatorial, Semi-arid, Tropical, Altitude tropical and Sub-tropical.

The Brazilian population is a mixture of many different races which makes this a hugely exciting country, culturally. Portuguese colonizers mixed with the native Indians and African slaves (mostly of Yorubá and Quimbundu origin, corresponding to modern-day Nigeria/Benin and Angola). Dutch and French colonization also took place in the Northeast. In the 19th century, German, Italian, Polish and Japanese immigrants added new elements to the mixture. Brazilians are perhaps one of the most racially diverse people in the world.